New York Employment Law Blog

If your company has a policy on hairstyles, you may need to update it. New York businesses can no longer ban natural hairstyles.

Following California, New York has become the second state to pass a law prohibiting discrimination against natural hairstyles. The law hopes to reduce racial discrimination in the workplace, especially towards African-Americans.

With the national unemployment rate at an all-time low, many businesses are struggling to fill spots. If you’re looking for a few ways to improve your business’ appeal to potential applicants, the following options could do just the trick.

Despite 1 in 4 pregnancies resulting in miscarriage, the topic is still extremely taboo. Many businesses are not equipped with a procedure that lays out how to handle time off in this situation.

The emotional pain of losing a child could reasonably prevent a woman from returning to work. However, it is the physical injuries of a miscarriage that dictate how much time a female employee can legally take.

Success happens when things come together and operate as one. From marketing to sales to customer relations, there are many components that make up a successful business. Managing your employees is one of these parts and it is a critical element of any business. When thinking about hiring employees you should also think about creating an employee handbook.

It’s exciting — and time-consuming — to prepare to bring a new member of the team on board. You’ve got to clear a budget, establish the role, acquire contract paperwork, determine a reporting structure, clear extra workspace and more!!

But, in the midst of preparing applications and conducting interviews, make sure to avoid these three major hiring mistakes that could seriously harm your business.

There is a change happening in workforce demographics and it may require a change in how businesses work with their older workers. The summer of 2018 marked the 50 year anniversary of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and a new report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), says that employers can be at a higher risk of age-related discrimination litigation due to a demographic shift in the workplace.

Many companies have started offering pet-based benefits to their employees.

Adorably dubbed, “fur-ternity” or “paw-ternity,” the newest benefits trend allows employees to spend more time with a new animal they have adopted. Read on to learn more about the steps that should be taken to establish similar pet-based benefits.

In 2017, 64 percent of Americans said marijuana use should be legal, according to a Gallup poll. Medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states and Washington D.C. The use of recreational marijuana is legal in nine states. As public opinion and state laws shift to accept marijuana use, should employers follow suit?

The increasing legalization of marijuana may lead to less employers testing employees for the substance, changes in HR policy and discrimination law discrepancies.

For many successful, large organizations, growth of the company means the expansion of a wider range of employee backgrounds. With many diverse backgrounds, cultural and behavioral differences may cause confusion and frustration in the workplace.

Large organizations must take cautious steps in protecting the well-being and security of all employees. Doing so, they can protect their company from a national ethnic or race discrimination lawsuit. Comfortable employees further project the success of the business, and by enforcing anti-discrimination policies, you may prevent the demise of your organization.

By Egan Law Firm, LLC posted in employment law on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

One thing to remember about sexual harassment: it is about power, not sex. Victims are usually highly avoidant and unwilling to report such instances, which is why a large percentage of sexual harassment claims go unreported. In situations where you have a serial harasser, such claims may not come out of the woodwork until years after one employee or former employee comes forward. Clients and customers can be harassers as well.

Which issues can you handle on your own? When should you contact an attorney? Once a claim of harassment has been made by an employee, do you understand what your responsibilities are? You need the knowledge and resources to conduct a prompt, non-biased, and complete investigation, or you risk making the situation worse.

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